Ms.Pacman joystick repair help

rynegnelson

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I have an original upright Ms. Pacman machine that was just working perfect 2 days ago. Everything works except now the left on the joystick will not work. In test mode on the machine everything works but that as well. Left does not work for 1st player or 2nd player while trying to play the game. I have checked the leaf switch, the wires, and harness to the board all good. I am a noob when it comes to diagnosing the board. I do have the manual / schematics. Any suggestions / help for things to try, to test or fix????
 
Try putting a jumper wire across the contacts when the game is in play......
If the switch is bad, the jumper will complete the circuit and Ms Pacman will go left.....
 
I have tried to jump the switch as well as make sure the wires are getting voltage. I also checked the red wire (on the left switch) by jumping to a different switch and the other switch worked. I think the signal from the blue/white wire is not getting received/processed once it hits the board.

texas mame: Is the ground the other red wire? The wires hooked up to the leaf are 2 reds soddered on one side and the blue/white on the other.
 
So - in test mode, you hear a sound when that switch is closed?

Make sure to check the connector to the control panel for good connection...
 
No, sorry for the confusion. Nothing works when testing that switch, but the switch has power, I am very sure the switch itself is fine. I have cleaned the area were the pin with all the wires connect to the board. I have tested the joystick also by running a wire jumping straight to the board and touched the board under the pins that coresspond to the joystick in test mode, all make a noise except the blue/white wire.
 
No, sorry for the confusion. Nothing works when testing that switch, but the switch has power, I am very sure the switch itself is fine. I have cleaned the area were the pin with all the wires connect to the board. I have tested the joystick also by running a wire jumping straight to the board and touched the board under the pins that coresspond to the joystick in test mode, all make a noise except the blue/white wire.

If that's accurate, must be a boardset issue for that lone input.
 
If you're sure the leaf switch is good, then check the logic level at pin 4 of the 74LS367 buffer at 8E. When moving the joystick left it should go low (0V), otherwise it should be high (5V). If it doesn't, check that SIP pull-up resistor as well as R47 and C22. If you're getting the correct logic levels on pin 4, my guess is that the buffer IC at 8E is shot.
 
Put your meter on continuity test, put the black lead on the ground wire (red) at the control panel connector on the can side, put your red lead on the wire for they switch, have game off, then close that switch to see if you have continuity...
 
I am not so shure.

Maybe clean the contacts with a finger nail file or emery board.

no no- that will kill the contacts.

Slip a business card in there with a little windex or acetone on it and wipe it through a few times.

Non-destructive. I don't think that's the problem though.
 
no no- that will kill the contacts.

Slip a business card in there with a little windex or acetone on it and wipe it through a few times.

Non-destructive. I don't think that's the problem though.

They are gold flashed contacts on there, kstillin is right, anything too rough will kill them.
Follow the wires back from the joystick to the connector. Jumper the pins of the connector there........
OR swap unsolder a known good switch from say "up" and solder into the non-working direction, this will tell you for certain if it is your switch or not.....
 
If you're sure the leaf switch is good, then check the logic level at pin 4 of the 74LS367 buffer at 8E. When moving the joystick left it should go low (0V), otherwise it should be high (5V). If it doesn't, check that SIP pull-up resistor as well as R47 and C22. If you're getting the correct logic levels on pin 4, my guess is that the buffer IC at 8E is shot.

I am going to check the logics, I just got a logic probe. So I dont mess anything help is there a standard spot to hook up the red and black wires that anybody uses. I dont want to mess anything up, and I want to make sure I read my voltmeter correctly. Im gunna figure it out! Thanks!!!
 
Do my suggestion at both the control panel connector (both sides) and the edge connector (harness and pads) before messing with the boards. I've seen wires break inside the insulation, so check all that before poking around with your probe...
 
I jumped and checked the harness, all good except blue/white (left). I just checked the board/control panel in test mode, I get a response from all the connections on the harness except where the blue/white (left) connect to the panel. I am going to try the logic probe (any tips? good place to connect red/black wires on machine?) . I have the schematics, I will try and do a walk through, If I fail I think I might have to have somebody help in person / send out to get it repaired due to being a nooooob. Thanks all for the help, again any logic probe help would be great. Have a good one.
 
Connect the logic probe at the C3 capacitor, it's next to the two very large capacitors.

Once you connect the logic probe poke the edge connector @ pin M (The 11th pin on the top) and move the joystick left. If your logic probe goes from high to low (or vise versa) do what delroy666 said to do.
 
I jumped and checked the harness, all good except blue/white (left). I just checked the board/control panel in test mode, I get a response from all the connections on the harness except where the blue/white (left) connect to the panel.

If you put your meter on continuity and checked the continuity between the ground wire and the blue/white at either the control panel connector or edge connector - and didn't get continuity when you closed the left switch blades - then the problem is either with your switch, your connectors, or your wiring. Not your board...
 
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